Associate ProfessorNigel Swarts

Project Total: $280,000; This integrated research program combines the applied trial framework of Ocean2Earth (O2E), the independent, multi-site validation approach led by Deakin University, and the systems-based research capability of the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) to rigorously evaluate marine-derived fertiliser and soil amendment products across key agricultural systems. The primary aim is to determine whether these products can maintain or improve productivity, product quality and nutrient-use efficiency while reducing reliance on synthetic fertilisers and contributing to improved soil function and environmental performance. Funded by: Marine Bioproducts CRC - MBCRC Grant ($210,000); University of Tasmania ($70,000).

Project Total: $200,000; This integrated research program combines the applied trial framework of Ocean2Earth (O2E), the independent, multi-site validation approach led by Deakin University, and the systems-based research capability of the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) to rigorously evaluate marine-derived fertiliser and soil amendment products across key agricultural systems. The primary aim is to determine whether these products can maintain or improve productivity, product quality and nutrient-use efficiency while reducing reliance on synthetic fertilisers and contributing to improved soil function and environmental performance. Funded by: Marine Bioproducts CRC - MBCRC Grant ($199,998); Ocean 2 Earth ($400,000); University of Tasmania ($200,004).

Project Total: $29,500; Vineyard floor management - premium wine Tasmania's cool climate underpins wine that is renowned for its premium quality that has driven industry expansion and increased its contribution to the state's economy over recent years.Managing vineyards holistically is important to ensure environmental, economic, and socially sustainable outcomes. Vineyard floor management is an important aspect and lever to maintain or improve grape and wine outcomes and sustainability under a changing climate.The proposed PhD is designed to work closely with growers on commercial vineyards to co-develop field trials to investigate the impact of vineyard floor management practices on grape and wine outcomes in Tasmanian wine regions. This project is to follow on from research completed by a previous Wine Australia supported PhD and will build on the findings from this under-vine cropping thesis. It is anticipated this research will address knowledge gaps and provide the wine industry with implementation ready information of adaptive floor management based on seasonal conditions. The project may consider vineyard floor management across a combination of factors including water use efficiency, nitrogen use and availability, weed management, soil health parameters, and economic viability to provide industry with a guide to best-practice vineyard floor management techniques in different Tasmanian cool climate wine regions. The project will support Wine Australias core function of Research and Innovation, specifically Our Sustainability and the Embrace sustainability and aim for continuous improvement in practices stream. Agriculture is an important part of our society and having a practice that is sustainable and continues to grow and expand on its knowledge to care for the land is critical for ongoing success of agriculture and in this case, viticulture.It is also important to note that this project is a part of the Sustainable Wine Production Project: Establishment of a Specialist Cool Climate Wine Research Hub in Tasmania, a collaboration with Wine Tasmania, and supported by the Tasmanian State Government. Funded by: Wine Australia - PhD top-up scholarship ($29,500); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $200,000; Emergency Impact mitigation in the Agricultural Innovation Fund. Funded by: Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania ($200,000); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $7,937,062; We propose quantification and development of adaptations to drought and seasonal climate variability in rain-dependent viticulture and horticulture, with a focus on winegrapes, apple and cherry in the higher altitude regions of NSW, and southerly latitudes of Tasmania. Recent vulnerability assessments for NSW, using the NARCliM2.0 dataset, show these regions face a future of declining rainfall and increasing evaporation demand even under low emissions scenarios. This represents a significant threat as vineyards and orchards in these regions that already have high rainfall dependency, limited access to secure water sources for irrigation, and lack the experience and decision support tools to manage scarce water resources in an increasingly dry and variable climate. Under Criteria 2 we outline a strategic project design that will scientifically develop innovative practices to improve resilience, quantify water efficiency gains, adapt to climate variability such as heat waves, frost and/or drought. We will explore the viability of such adaptations under future climates (which in general comprise more volatile climates) using contemporary systems approaches. For the field trials, we will establish a network of long term industry based trials to test strategies that shift water balance in favour of the target crop, increase volume of soil water accessed by the root system, and deliver supplementary irrigation to the root-zone in the most effective manner. Additional treatments will extend to other climate risks such as heat damage to fruit that are accentuated by drought. We will work with producers to identify the key crop specific information they need to manage their water and plan in advance for drought, and explore opportunities for transformational practice change at the time of planting. A key objective of the project is the rainfall derived water component, which does not duplicate the larger body of research in warmer regions. For irrigation, our question will also cover best management practices associated with limited supplementary irrigation, which is often derived from multiple sources such as dams, bores and creeks, and the whole system approach to water management that this entails. To scale or findings, the project consortium brings together modelling expertise to quantify the impact of implemented practice change on water use and soil water dynamics, extend these findings forward in time to determine adaption capacity against long term climate projections, and then assess the implications of shorter term drought response treatments for longer term sustainability goals. The question of maintaining cash flow before, during and after drought, is complex and highly context dependent. We will first work with growers to document their experience of previous droughts, understand the vulnerabilities of their production systems, and opportunities to improve their preparation for future droughts. Along with data collection needed for economic analysis, including long term yield records, this will be done as a final step of the project that models scenarios to optimise revenue through cycles of historic or future droughts. Funded by: Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry - Grant; Charles Sturt University; University of Tasmania ($165,556).

Project Total: $724,785; This project is a contribution towards a DPIRD NSW led tender for the Hort Innovation funded Optimising protected cherry production (CY24004) RFP Funded by: Horticulture Innovation Australia - Tender; Department of Primary Industries NSW; University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $461,730; The Zero Net Emissions Agriculture Cooperative Research Centre (ZNE Agriculture CRC) aims to transition Australian agriculture to net-zero, healthy, resilient, and profitable food systems by 2040. The Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA), a partner in the CRC, will establish an Australian-first Zero Emissions Horticulture Demonstration Farm at the Tasmanian Vegetable Research Facility (TVRF). This real-world farm will showcase alternative input strategies that reduce emissions while maintaining productivity. By challenging the perception that emission reduction is costly, the project will demonstrate to industry that sustainable zero-emission farming can drive growth. The farm will feature innovative practices to optimise nitrogen utilisation and carbon sequestration. This five year $462,145 project will employ replicated in-field trials to compare input approaches, showcasing viable solutions for a zero-emissions future. Funded by: Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania ($461,731); University of Tasmania ($72,126).

Project Total: $450,000; Wine Tasmania (WT) has tasked the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) with developing a research plan to accelerate industry growth. This strategy seeks to maximise $450,000 of research funding delivered by the State government via WT over a three-year period (2024 2027), developing opportunities to extend. Aims To address industry needs through high priority research areas to improve vine productivity, wine composition, and industry growth To develop strategic international research partnerships to enhance the visibility of Tasmanian wines, knowledge-share, and build a reputation for cool-climate wine research Funded by: Wine Industry of Tasmania ($450,000); University of Tasmania ($142,251).

Project Total: $122,500; This PhD project, funded by Agriculture Victoria, will investigate the application of netting timing and colour in apple orchards to provide industry with a series of bets practice management recommendations. Funded by: Agriculture Victoria ($122,500); University of Tasmania ($18,000).

Project Total: $1,600,224; Irrigation in Tasmania has grown phenomenally in recent years through Commonwealth and State Government investment in irrigation schemes. This has been attendant to an increase in the proportion of the states agricultural production supported by irrigation and a compound rate of growth of the farm gate value of approximately 7%. Irrigation plays a critical role in the performance of some of Tasmanias highest value commodities, including dairy, vegetable, and fruit production. This three-year program will document the economic value derived from the Tasmanian state governments investment in irrigation infrastructure for the Tasmanian agriculture sector. TIA will partner with its stakeholders across key regions and sectors benefiting from existing and future irrigation investment to determine at a macro (state and region) to micro (individual farms) scale how this investment has grown and will continue to grow value. TIA will conduct research to benchmark the efficiency and effectiveness of a series of center pivot irrigators, as well as conduct grower led on farm research and demonstration trials to address local issues with soil and irrigation management, and build sustainable, climate resilient Through this irrigation program, TIA will deliver increased knowledge and adoption of practices that optimise irrigation efficiency and increased farm profit through a range of on farm case studies demonstrating the true and potential value of irrigation to different agriculture sectors in Tasmania. Funded by: Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania - Agricultural Development Fund ($1,600,225); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $150,000; This project will investigate the utilisation of sea urchin processing waste as a soil ameliorant on a winegrapes, apples, potatoes, and other horticultural crops. This project seeks to provide data on the practicality of converting sea urchin waste into an agricultural product by assessing its long-term impact on soil health and crop production. Funded by: Marine Bioproducts CRC - General Projects ($53,300); Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania ($100,000); University of Tasmania ($50,000).

Project Total: $2,101,175; This project is one of four for the PIPS 4 Profit program which is the flagship research program for the Australian Apple Industry. Research for this project will lead to: Profitable apple crop load management strategies and technologies for apple production within the Australian environment profitable spatial and temporal management strategies that maximise apple quality for apple consumers. Provide data on the eco credentials of the apple industry production systems. Increase labour use efficiency in Australian apple orchards Funded by: Horticulture Innovation Australia - Tender ($2,101,175); University of Tasmania ($60,506).

Project Total: $1,579,675; ​​This project is one of four for the PIPS 4 Profit program which is the flagship research program for the Australian Apple Industry. The objectives of this project are aimed at assisting the apple and pear industry by providing profitable and sustainable soil management practices for the industry that include spatial and temporal management strategies that maximise soil health in apple and pear production systems across Australia. To ensure regional relevance in achieving these objectives, we are bringing together a strong team of regional Front Line Advisors (FLAs), researchers, industry advisors and extension personnel from several states, all of whom have a strong working relationship with the Australian apple and pear industry as well as an intimate knowledge of apple and pear production systems, effective networks of growers and advisors and a strong track record of project delivery to the apple and pear industry Funded by: Horticulture Innovation Australia - Tender ($1,579,675); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $217,680; Smoke-affected fruit is a significant cost to the wine grape industry and significant risk that deters investors and industry expansion. Negative sensory outcomes, not apparent in fruit but manifesting after fermentation and wine making, means significant financial outlay has already been invested with little to no chance for financial return. For vineyards and wineries, this could also include years of sunk investment into ageing of fine wines. Current options for remediation have focussed on removing smoke-taint compounds using activated carbon but these methods have also stripped out important flavour and aroma compounds. Thus, alternative approaches for adaptation to the ever-increasing risk and reality of smoke taint from bushfires without adversely affecting wine flavour and aroma is considered critical for the Tasmanian wine industry where the value-proposition is premium quality. Wine Tasmania, via its Technical Committee, has identified smoke taint as its number one R&D priority and propose that this be investigated in relation to sparkling wine production, given that this is the biggest segment of Tasmanian wine production (Wine Tas Vintage Report 2020/21). Wine Tasmania and the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture propose to jointly investigate the following research questions: * Is producing a premium sparkling wine from low levels of smoke taint-affected wine grapes a viable alternative to producing still wines? * What are the thresholds of volatile phenols created by smoke that are able to be tolerated in sparkling winemaking methods? * What are the short-term effects of smoke taint on bottle-aged sparkling (18 months)? * What are the long-term effects of smoke taint on bottle-aged sparkling (3-10 years)? Proposed activities Part 1 - mitigation and remediation of smoke taint Investigate if: 1) making sparkling wine from smoke-affected wine grapes is a viable alternative to still wine 2) activated carbon (identified by AWRI as a method for mitigating smoke taint) and/or glycosidase treatment can reduce the levels of smoke taint compounds in sparkling wines The intention is to conduct this over three successive seasons and to refine the research questions and approach in response to industry collaboration and input. Proposed analysis for grapes, juice, and wine: - Free and bound smoke taint compounds (commercial service provider - consistent with industry practice and interpretation) - Pivot sensory analysis with minimum 10 winemakers (only for wine) - Compositional analysis of volatile compounds - Wine matrix data including pH, sugar levels (Brix), titratable acidity, alcohol content, and total phenolics. Part 2 - Sparkling wines and smoke taint over time Sparkling wine will be made from grapes exposed to no, low, and high levels of fresh smoke on the vine and aged on lees in a winery's storage facility to replicate commercial conditions. The wines will be analysed at bottling, and at various timepoints after bottling for ten years. The wines will be stored for analyses in the hope of sourcing additional funding beyond the 3-years of the ADF. Proposed analysis for wine is the same as for Part 1. Part 3 - Agile bushfire response A provision of funds will be set aside to conduct experiments with actual bushfire smoked grapes. For example, if a region of Tasmania is unfortunate enough t Funded by: Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania - Agricultural Development Fund ($217,680); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $494,647; This proposal continues the development of the soil health eNose that was initially funded by the Soil CRC for 21 months. The first project provided some evidence that the eNose detects signals from the soil that are related to soil biological activity. In this project the eNose device and associated data analytics will be further developed and tested against data collected in a currently funded TIA field site. Funded by: CRC for High Performance Soils Ltd - Grant ($494,647); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $59,000,000; The objective of the MB-CRC is to transform Australia's emerging marine bioproducts sector into a globally competitive industry. The focus will be on the industry and market-driven innovations to improve both the supply chain and value chain to deliver economies of scale and competitive capacity for Australia to access high value markets across the globe. Strategic alignment: From Tasmania and for Tasmania: A revolution in use of sustainable marine resources, the use of innovative bioprocessing technologies and the exploitation of local Tasmanian bioproducts with a global impact Human Health and nutrition: Marine derived products will improve human health and nutrition Economic performance: Create regional competitive advantage for the marine bioproducts sector and new businesses through the industry problems we solve. Lift the economic performance of the State on manufacturing and bioresources usage. Environmental sustainability: providing aquaculture and agriculture industries with different market options Educational attainment: Students will be strongly involved in the development of the projects, aligned with Tasmania as a STEM State to collaborate with industry, business and government to translate knowledge into practical and productive outcomes. Funded by: Department of Industry, Innovation and Science - CRC Programme; Marine Bioproducts CRC; University of Tasmania ($2,500,000).

Project Total: $199,996; This project will investigate the commercial upscaling of processing sea urchin waste for use as an agricultural fertiliser. This project was primarily aimed at benefitting the seafood processing industry by purchasing and establishing a waste processing facility, analysing waste products for their biochemical composition and very preliminary research trials in an agricultural context. The processing facility can produce two main products from the processing waste: a powder of dried and crushed shell waste and a liquid from gut waste. Funded by: Fisheries Research & Development Corporation - Grant ($199,996); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $799,213; The purpose of this project is to provide targeted research that promotes soil health, thus driving productivity through enhanced nutrient availability and uptake. The desired outcome is an apple and pear orchard production system that maximises quality and yield with high nutrient use efficiency under increasing climate variability. The project will focus on demonstration sites across the main apple growing regions and will develop collaborative partnerships with the other four PIPS3 projects (AP19002, AP19003, AP19004, AP19005) and industry service providers to share resources and potential sites and encourage exchange of information.. Funded by: Horticulture Innovation Australia - Tender ($799,213); University of Tasmania ($200,000).

Project Total: $62,212; The project will work directly with industry to develop more sustainable and precise management of N to elevate and maintain long-term vineyard productivity, encourage improved soil health, promote consistency of grape composition, reduce winery costs and enhance wine quality. With premium wine quality being an imperative for wine producers, Tasmania provides the perfect landscape for developing this research which will contribute to developing a prosperous Australian grape and wine community. Funded by: Wine Australia - Scholarship-Top-Up ($62,212); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $569,944; This project is to conduct trials of urchin fertiliser on commercial crops Funded by: Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania - Abalone Industry Reinvestment Fund ($569,944); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $2,000; Travel Bursary application to Wine Australia to support travel to the International Symposium on Precision Management of Orchards and Vineyards, Italy October 2019 Funded by: Wine Australia - Grant-Travel/Conference ($2,000); University of Tasmania ($2,263).

Project Total: $18,551; A pilot-crossover study aims to determine and compare the dose-response variation of anthocyanins and phenolic metabolites in urine and faecal matter in humans over 24h after consumption of anthocyanin-rich sweet cherries. Funded by: University of Tasmania - Grant-BH Research Theme; University of Tasmania ($18,551).

Project Total: $52,102; Increasing the viability of urchin fisheries is particularly important for the range-extending Centrostephanus rodgersii which is threatening the productivity and profitability of the lucrative abalone and rock lobster fishing grounds as far south as the Tasman Peninsula (south-eastern Tasmania).Waste products from urchin fisheries account for over 85% of the harvested biomass, with up to 180 tonnes of sea urchin waste produced annually. Developing saleable by-products from waste will increase the viability and profitability of urchin fisheries by 1) creating new business opportunities 2) reducing waste disposal and transport costs and 3) enabling increased harvest levels temporally (longer seasons), spatially (further from port) and at an increased density. Cost effective control of Centrostephanus is a key priority of the Tasmanian Government as well as the Tasmanian Abalone and Rock Lobster Council. A profitable Centrostephanus fishery is seen as the best way to achieve this. However, profitability in the fishery is currently low given the species lower roe quality. Methods to reduce costs and increase profitability are vital for a prosperous fishery and control of destructive urchin grazing. Initial studies have indicated that urchin gut contain high levels of bioactive molecules with anti-thrombotic activity. Similar activities recently conducted in abalone processing waste have developed separation strategies for anti-thrombotic and anti-coagulant molecules. These methods are being patented by CSIRO and FRDC for future commercial engagement. Preliminary trials indicate that the separation strategies developed for abalone can be extended to urchin processing waste isolating molecules with nutraceutical grade bioactivity. Initial biochemical analyses have also shown that urchin testes contain essential micronutrients deficient in Australian soils providing a basis for the development of agricultural products. Developing business opportunities from the vast quantities of urchin waste is seen as an effective way to increase the viability of urchin fisheries while simultaneously reducing costs associated with urchin waste management and decreasing urchin numbers in valuable abalone and rock lobster fishing grounds. Funded by: Fisheries Research & Development Corporation - Grant-Annual Open Call Round ($52,102); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $59,112; The current proposal will establish nutrient and irrigation treatments with the aim of stabilising yield across seasons. Preliminary work by TIA's Grape and Wine Team over the past two years has established that nutrient application in vineyards could well be contributing to the lack of yield consistency. An additional decision which faces growers is the choice around timing of pruning, and the style of pruning, either cane or spur pruning. This decision is further complicated by the introduction of mechanical cane and spur pruners to the state. Under cane pruning systems, knowledge about cane selection is also vital. The proposal is tightly aligned with the WA strategic plan 2015-2020, priority 1, Increasing demand and the premium paid for all Australian wine, specifically strategy 3 which is to build Australian Grape and Wine Excellence. Funded by: Wine Australia - Scholarship ($59,112); University of Tasmania.